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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · bay · bark · fork · fan · foot · perch · sharp

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bark — to shout
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — the fish
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com